Member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation group have agreed to work during the next year to liberalize oilseed and food trade rules within the region.
Canadian agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief said it could be the seed of an idea that will bloom into greater market access for Canadian canola.
APEC ministers will receive a report next year on what changes are possible.
“The agreement of the ministers at the APEC conference is good news for farmers as it represents a step in the direction of more free trade with some of Canada’s key trading partners,” he said in a statement after the APEC conference held in Vancouver in late November.
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Oilseed products, which now face the greatest impediments in parts of the key Asian market, will be the main focus.
During APEC meeting, Canada joined the United States and Malaysia in proposing all import restrictions and export subsidies that distort trade in oilseeds and oilseed products among member countries be eliminated.
The proposal was sent to officials to be worked on during the next year.
Japanese resistance
“There certainly is some push-back from Japan on that but the fact that we got it recognized as one of 15 items to be reviewed with (priority) during the next year we feel was significant,” Vanclief said last week in an interview. “It’s always nice to see some of the agricultural concerns recognized at these meetings.”
Japan, Canada’s largest canola seed customer with purchases of 1.6 million tonnes or more, structures import policies to restrict entry of canola meal and oil.
Instead, it buys the raw seed and processes it in Japan, creating processing jobs at home.
Canada has struggled for years to open the Japanese market to canola products, as well as seed.
